Films by Aalto alumni Alli Haapasalo and Hanna Bergholm at the Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film Festival has never before featured a full-length fiction film from Finland. Next year's World Cinema Dramatic Competition will include Alli Haapasalo’s drama Girl Picture (Tytöt, tytöt, tytöt).

Written by Daniela Hakulinen and Ilona Ahti, the film follows three different girls as they get to know each other, fall in love for the first time and search for their own feelings. The film stars Linnea Leino, Aamu Milonoff and Eleonoora Kauhanen. Produced by Leila Lyytikäinen and Elina Pohjola for production company Citizen Jane, the film will premiere in Finland on 14 April 2022.

Hanna Bergholm's debut feature The Hatching (Pahanhautoja) will be screened as part of the Midnight series. In this horror film, written by Ilja Rautsi, a young girl Tinja finds a strange bird's egg, which she secretly cares for from her idyllic family. A perfect home turns into a scene of horror when the egg hatches.

The film stars Siiri Solalinna, Sophia Heikkilä, Jani Volanen and Reino Nordin. The film, produced by production company Silva Mysterium, will premiere in Finland on 4 February 2022.

On top of Aalto alumni work, there will be a third Finnish film at Sundance, in the Documentary competition. The Mission, directed by Tania Anderson, follows the journey of four young American mormons to Finland, one of the most secularised countries in Europe. Produced by Danish Bear Productions, the film will premiere in Finland in 2022.

Finnish cinema is at present enjoying exceptional international acclaim. Finnish filmmakers and works have been celebrated at Cannes, Venice, Berlin and now also at Sundance, one of the most important film festivals in the United States. Next up are the Oscars, where two Finnish films are in the running for Best International Film: Hytti No 6 and Guled & Nasra. (The latter is nominee of Somalia.)